


I Just Want Candy

by Kivea



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Babysitting, Comedy, Getting Together, Halloween, Humor, M/M, Meddling, Mentions of drugs and alcohol, Romance, Teenagers, Trick or Treating, bcs party in south park, meddling siblings, romcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27312604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kivea/pseuds/Kivea
Summary: What went from a quiet Halloween night with his brother turned into him trick-or-treating with Tricia Tucker. They would slide up to a door and she would don her sweetest smile, raising her pumpkin with a bright grin.He said he was trick or treating with Tricia, because he could almost pretend his brother wasn’t there anymore, given he was too busy standing at the end of the driveways flirting with Tricia's brother.
Relationships: Kyle Broflovski/Craig Tucker
Comments: 12
Kudos: 68





	I Just Want Candy

It was Halloween night. It was Halloween night, and Ike wanted to go trick or treating. It was Halloween night and he wanted to go trick or treating with his friends, but Filmore had been taken away to visit family, and Frikle had given him one look that summarised his entire stance on ‘trick or treating’ without him needing to say the word ‘conformist’. 

He had then offered for Ike to join him and the other goth kids in their yearly summoning circle in the graveyard, but Ike politely declined. 

Sheila Broflovski was nothing if not determined to make things happen, however. Once she caught wind of his lack of company, she sourced it for him in the form of his older brother. 

“What?” Kyle had asked, looking up from his dinner as they were sat round the table. “I can’t, I have plans.” 

“What plans could you possibly have on Halloween night?” Sheila asked. “You don’t go trick or treating with your friends anymore.” 

“I’m…going round to Stan’s, for a movie night,” Kyle explained. 

“Well, I can just let Sharon know you’ll be late.” 

“You can’t!” 

She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“I’m sixteen! I don’t need you ringing my friend’s parents to tell them I’m late, I’m not a kid!” Kyle defended. “I’ll just…go later on. I’ll let Stan know. I’ll take Ike out early.” 

Three days later it came out in a conversation Sheila had with Sharon that they boys weren’t having a movie night, because Sharon was helping Stan with his costume for a party he was going to. Ike had to suffer through another argument between his big brother and mom about why he would lie, and about how as punishment he wasn’t going to any party at all. It ended up with him stomping his way up to his room. 

Ike counted himself lucky that at least Kyle was too busy being angry at their parents to be angry at him. 

“You ready?” 

He gathered his candy-bag as he looked up with a smile, shaking the cauldron, decked in the Spyro outfit that his mother had helped him make. “Yep! I’m ready.” 

“Let’s get going.” 

It was a very standard Halloween night. His favourite part was always seeing the decorations, and he planned his trick-or-treating path as such. Some houses really went all out, and some people were particularly good at pumpkin carving. They ran into a couple of his friends along the way, and he was beginning to notice a theme; a lot of kids with siblings were being carted around by them. 

That just meant that eventually, they were bound to run into someone that Kyle knew as well, with all the older kids that had been forced out. 

He knew what was happening as soon as he saw the look in Kyle’s eyes. He’d seen it before; this weird, sickening look that reminded Ike of romance films and period dramas on TV. He had no issue with them on TV, but he had an issue with it on his brother’s face. 

He looked across the way and got his first frightened chill of the night. 

Opposite the street stood the boy that Kyle was making eyes at, and his little sister. His little sister who Ike knew as someone with a reputation more frightening than the zombie Elsa costume she wore. She was a kid with a silver tongue; silver as in it was a knife and her words could cut you like no real knife could. 

Then Kyle started to move, calling out her brother’s name before running across the street without looking where he was going, and Ike groaned out to the sky before he picked up his feet to follow. 

He should’ve accepted Firkle’s offer to join the summoning circle. He wondered if there was still time. 

“Hey!” Kyle chirped out. “Craig, wait up!” 

“Some of us have places to be, Broflovski,” the dark-haired boy scolded, though he clearly wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry. “I’m a busy man, don’t you know?” 

“Don’t be a jackass,” Kyle took the excuse to land a soft punch to the man’s arm, smile lighting across his face as Craig smirked at him. 

They kind of just…stood there, taking each other in. 

Ike looked across to see Tricia Tucker roll her eyes. 

“Are you not going to the party?” Craig eventually asked. 

Kyle gave a helpless shrug and a laugh. “I’ve been tasked with taking Ike trick-or-treating. Apparently it’s not safe to go around on your own. I don’t remember Shelly or Kevin ever escorting us around, but…” 

“Yeah, same. I guess it’s the newest thing going round the parents, huh?” 

“What, paranoia? That’s hardly new.” 

“Craig,” Tricia spoke up, tugging on her brother’s sleeve. “C’mon. We’re gonna miss the best houses if you keep dawdling.” 

“Keep your fuckin’ pants on, Trish, we’re not missing anything.” 

“We can go round together, if you want?” Kyle suggested, not missing a beat. 

“Sure, why not. Beats just having this little shit for company.” 

Tricia huffed out at her brother’s words and turned her icy eyes to Ike. “Fine, but we’re following _my_ route, you got it? I’ve done this longer than you have. I’ll show you the best places.” 

Ike wanted to point out that there was only one year between him and Tricia Tucker, but decided he preferred living. So he shrugged, and accepted his new fate. If there was one thing he’d learnt from Filmore, it was that people didn’t always appreciate his ‘smart ass’ comments.

He didn’t think it was his fault they were all stupid. 

What went from a quiet Halloween night without his friends turned into him trick-or-treating with Tricia Tucker. They would slide up to a door and she would don her sweetest smile, raising her pumpkin with a bright grin. He had to give her credit that at least she was attempting to teach him the best way to exploit the soft-hearted, and she was a pretty good teacher. 

He said he was trick or treating with Tricia, because he could almost pretend his brother wasn’t there anymore. The two teenagers didn’t join them at the doors, preferring to stay at the end of the drive and wait for them to be finished. 

He could almost pretend, but unfortunately every time they turned around to fetch their siblings they would see the pair of them there, acting like there was no one else around. He in fact watched at some point a small child come hurtling towards them nearly colliding with Kyle’s legs, only for Craig to reach out an arm and take the kid by the head and swivel him to run around them without taking his eyes off Kyle. 

It was gross. It was really, really gross. 

“I can’t take anymore of this,” she muttered with gritted teeth. “Watching them is making me want to vomit.” 

Ike had to admit, she was right. Watching their brothers completely forgetting about what they were there to do in favour of standing barely two feet apart as they chattered together with giddy laughter and awkward shuffling and shoving was kind of painful. 

“We need to do something. C’mon. Follow me.” 

She spun on her heel and made off into the night. Ike looked back at their brothers, eyes still locked on each other, before he turned and went after her. 

Had to be better than being left on his own to watch _that_. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Token’s house,” she declared. “He’s got loads of sweets; I saw him stocking up for his party. And he’ll have all those fancy decorations you like to look at. I know Craig was going there after trick or treating.” 

He assumed that meant the party Kyle had lied about was set to be at Token’s house. 

His assumption was right, judging from the people in the front garden of the Black’s mansion of a house. Tricia took his hand, telling him not to get lost, as she guided them through the busy area towards the front door. There were a few kids he recognised as Kyle’s friends as they wandered through, playing various Halloween games that admittedly looked more fun than trick or treating. 

He did wonder if the water they were bobbing for apples in was really water though, and not something more alcoholic. 

“Here!” she declared as they stepped over the threshold. “I told you; sweets and décor galore!” 

She was right. The house had been dressed to the nines. 

“Oh shit!” he tugged on her hand as he caught sight of a buffet table. “Look at all that food!” 

She ran next to him eagerly, a giggle in her voice as they did so, jumping over some kid lying on the floor half asleep cradling a bottle. 

They got stopped in their tracks though, as someone came to very pointedly stand in their way, nearly making them bump into him. 

Ike looked up to see bright blue eyes and freckled cheeks, a furrowed brow with crossed arms. Kenny’s face may have had paint and makeup on it for the Halloween night, but there was no mistaking the McCormick boy. 

He looked down at them with all the force of a disappointed guardian. “Trish? Ike? You two shouldn’t be here. You’re like, five.” 

“I’m _eleven_ ,” Tricia corrected with a glare. “I’m plenty old enough for your dumb parties.” 

“You sure as hell ain’t. What, you meant to be trick or treating?” 

“Yes! But our dumb brothers won’t stop flirting!” she huffed out with a stomp of her foot. 

The disapproval on Kenny’s face made way for an amused smirk. “I’m not sure your brothers would really want you going round shouting that to a room full of people, hon.” 

“I don’t care, I just want someone to do something about it!” 

“You want someone to do something about what?” 

Ike turned his attention to the new girl to arrive. He looked up to see the girl he recognised as Wendy Testaburger leaning against Kenny’s shoulder, blue eyes that were framed by strands of black hair searching Tricia for some information. 

“C’mon, Wends, don’t-?” 

“Our brothers!” Tricia continued, completely ignoring the blonde. “They were _meant_ to be taking us trick or treating, but just ended up flirting instead! I want someone to do something about them.” 

Ike grimaced as he saw Wendy’s eyes lit up with glee and prayed that his brother would be kind on him when they were found. 

“Oh! Well, I think we can help with that, can’t we, Kenny?” 

Kenny gave Wendy a side-eye. “I think they’d probably prefer we didn’t.” 

“Don’t be silly, they’ll be plenty grateful. At least these two will be!” 

Before Tricia could confirm it, and before Ike could deny it, there was the sound of his name being called in that tone he’d come to associate with him about to get a lecture, of someone who wasn’t even his _parent_. 

“Ike!” 

He jumped out his skin at his brother’s voice, spinning round to see the angry redhead charging towards him, Tricia’s brother hot on his tail. 

“What do you think you’re doing, running off like that?!” 

He held up his hands in surrender, but he never got a chance to speak. 

“You!” 

Attention fell back on Tricia Tucker who was glaring up at Wendy. 

“Where are the sofa’s here?” 

“There’s space in the basement, I’m pretty sure?” 

Kenny snorted. “You kiddin’? Clyde’s totally got the basement hotboxed. You’d be better in the conservatory.” 

“Oh, yikes, does Token know he’s hotboxing the basement?” 

“Probably not.” 

“We’ll go to the conservatory. Bring us two drinks!” 

Ike watched as she grabbed Craig’s arm and began to drag him away. He was pretty sure she was expecting him to follow, but… 

“Bro, I don’t know what she’s planning, but I think you should go after her.” 

Kyle looked at him with wide eyes. “What? Why?” 

“Because I don’t want her to murder me for disobeying.” 

Kenny sniggered. “I’d be careful, she’s a schemer. She may have, ah, said something about a c-r-u-s-h.” 

Kyle’s face lit up at the word and he snarled at his friend. “That’s _not subtle_ , dude, people can _spell_.” 

“Ike!” 

The three of them looked over to see Tricia calling his name, brows pulled together as she beckoned furiously for Ike. 

He made the quick decision to follow her. 

“Hey!” Kyle shouted after him. “Wait!” 

He didn’t. In that moment he felt trapped between a viper and a bloodhound, except he knew that the bloodhound was a softie at heart and wouldn’t actually tear his throat out. The viper…?

He really didn’t trust. 

So he continued to follow the Tuckers towards the conservatory, entering to see a handful of people around. Tricia had sat her brother one of the couches as he hissed low in her direction. Ike couldn’t quite tell what he was saying, but he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know. 

Ike looked up at his own brother who slowed to a stop and gestured at the couch. “You wanna…?” 

“Not really,” Kyle huffed out. “What’s she even doing?” 

“I don’t know. At least you’re at your party?” 

Kyle shot him a withering glare. 

In seconds Tricia had managed to herd him onto the couch next to Craig. Ike watched as she sat the beside each other with a firm hand. He had to admit, after watching them make goo-goo eyes at each other for half the night, it was kind of satisfying to see them looking so nervous and uncomfortable in the face of the tiny terror. 

Wendy came through to the room with a flourish and moved to stand behind Tricia as she addressed the two boys with glasses in hand. 

“Here you are,” Wendy handed the two drinks over with a smile. “Two drinks, one for each of you.” 

“Thank you,” Tricia answered, waiting till Wendy had disappeared before she turned her attention back to their brothers. “ Now, if we go back trick or treating, it’s going to be _without_ you.” 

“You can’t!” Kyle huffed out. “Mom’ll kill us if we split up and Ike’s unsupervised.” 

“Then I’ll make sure we’re supervised,” she shrugged. “Karen’s brother’s soft. I bet I could convince him.” 

“You can’t convince anyone of shit,” Craig bit. “You’re not some angel, and you can’t pass as one, either.” 

“Then _Ike_ can convince him. Or we can just hang about here, until you two get your business in order.” 

“Tricia,” Craig’s voice dropped into a low growl that sent a shiver up Ike’s spine, and made him think that intimidation tactics may have been a family special. “I’m warning you...” 

“Oh fuck off, Craig,” she spat out, though there was a shift in the way she stood and she seemed to inch back away from him. “I’m doing you a favour! You should be grateful!” 

“Ike,” Kyle hissed out, leaning towards him as he did so. “You’ve got to promise me you don’t go anywhere, okay?” 

“I promise,” he murmured with some resignation. “I was having a shitty night anyway.” 

“Stay where I can see you.” 

“What if I stay where everyone can see me?” 

Kyle narrowed his eyes, but before he could argue, they were interrupted by a much higher pitched voice. 

“Hey, kids!” 

He looked up to see Wendy back in the doorway with a blonde girl, tight curls pulled into a bun with cat ears poking out atop her head. 

“C’mere!” she called, beckoning them with her hands. “I figured out how to lock them in there!” 

“What?!” 

Ike grimaced as his brother’s exclamation. 

It was then that he noticed they were the only ones left in the conservatory area. 

He turned to exchange a look with his brother, and he did actually feel kind of guilty. Guilty because he knew that no matter how much Kyle wanted to help him, looking up with begging eyes and grasping the sleeve of his costume, Ike wasn’t going to help him. 

He was absolutely not staying locked in here with his brother and this boy that he apparently liked. 

“Sorry, bro,” he murmured with a shrug. “I won’t go anywhere, though. Promise.” 

Then Tricia Tucker took hold of his hand once again and carted him out of the conservatory. 

Neither of the boys even bothered to try stop them. The pair were sat there on the couch with their drinks in their hands, silent. 

Ike shuffled over towards Kenny who was lingering close by as Tricia helped Wendy and her blonde friend shut the door, a key dangling from the blonde’s fingers that she stuffed into her bra before the three of them crowded round the window. 

“Hey,” Kenny greeted as he got close, landing a hand on his back. “You want me to get you anything, big brains?” 

He didn’t particularly like Kenny’s fondness of nicknames, but he appreciated that the blonde at least looked out for his brother. “Is there any alcohol?” 

Kenny shrugged. “Sure, let’s go try some. So long as I don’t send you home to your mother drunk, we’re all good, right?” 

He was also pretty lax with what he considered ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guardian behaviour, given his own parents. 

As he started to follow Kenny he found someone grasping his hand, and turned to see Tricia standing behind him, brows pulled together and her bottom lip jutting out. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I’m going with Kenny,” Ike pointed towards the blonde who was waiting for him. “He’s gonna let me try alcohol.” 

She scrunched her nose up. “Really? Isn’t that stuff...nasty?” 

He shrugged. 

The way she dropped his hand and refused to meet his gaze had him thinking that maybe now that the wind was taken out of her sails, she was a little nervous about being in this big house with all these teenagers. 

“You can still come, even if you don’t try it,” Ike offered. “I bet there’s candy in there. There’s candy like, everywhere.” 

“I suppose someone has to supervise you,” she muttered, lifting her chin and gaining some life back at the offer. He decided to let her save face. 

When he glanced over her shoulder he saw the two girls who were staring in through the windows of the conservatory were still there, though a few more girls had joined them. 

He was really gonna get in trouble when Kyle got out of that room. 

\--

Kyle was going to absolutely murder his brother when he got out of this room. 

The redhead sat on the plush couch in the conservatory clutching the drink that Wendy had given him, listening to the sounds of the party from the other side of the door. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder to where the windows where, because he just knew that he’d see the faces of his classmates staring back at him. 

This was already embarrassing enough. He didn’t need that extra pressure added to the situation. 

He flinched as there was movement next to him, though Craig didn’t comment on it. Instead the other boy just took a sip of his drink before placing it on the table and crossing his arms as he slouched down into the sofa cushions. 

It was... 

Unnerving. Awkward. Really, really, really uncomfortable. 

He didn’t know how long they sat there in complete silence, but it was driving him crazy. 

“Sorry...” 

He glanced at Craig out the corner of his eyes as the boy spoke. “For what?” 

“My sister,” he grimaced as he said it, but he angled his face in such a way that Kyle couldn’t get a proper look at him. 

“I’m sorry too, for my brother,” Kyle offered. “I hope my parents kept the receipt so I can return him.” 

Craig gave a snort of laughter, turning his head to look up at Kyle with a lopsided grin on his face, brow twitching in amusement. “I wish I had that option.” 

Kyle could feel a smile spreading across his face as he felt a wave of satisfaction from having the boy’s attention on him, but it didn’t last. 

There was a bang from the room behind them which snapped them out of their revere and had their gazes flicking away to elsewhere in the room. 

Kyle shut his eyes as he mentally accepted the fact that he was _utterly pathetic._

He had been having such a good night. Sure, he’d been forced to take Ike trick or treating instead of going to Token’s party, but then they’d seen the Tuckers, and he realised he wasn’t the only one stuck in that position. He had company. 

And the company he had was... 

Yes, okay, so maybe Kenny was right. Maybe there was a c-r-u-s-h going on, but who could blame him? Craig was smart, and made him laugh with that dry sense of humour, and had told him once about how he wanted to get an eyebrow piercing as soon as he was allowed and there was something _really nice_ about the images his brain conjured up of the boy with two silver studs lining the dark hair. 

And now... 

What did it even mean, if Tricia wanted to lock them in the conservatory? Was she doing it because she was trying to set them up? And if she was trying to set them up, then did that mean...? 

He glanced back over to where Craig sat, seeing the boy picking at his nails with his head down. Slouching like that he sat lower than Kyle, and his face was hidden again, but there was a tinge of red to the tips of his ears. 

Kyle turned away as his heart gave a hammering _thud_ in his chest. The idea that maybe it wasn’t one-sided was... 

There were a lot of emotions to process, alright? 

“So, uh...” Kyle shuffled in the seat to try and make himself comfortable. “We made it to the party, I guess?” 

“Didn’t your mom say you weren’t allowed to come?” 

“Yeah, but if Ike’s not wandering the streets on his own, then she probably won’t figure it out. If he was then maybe I’d be in trouble.” 

“I don’t know if it’s much better knowing she’s wandering around out there gossiping about me to everyone,” Craig sulked. “I think I’d rather she was wandering the streets. Maybe she’d end up in a ditch.” 

The venom made him laugh, but there was another rush at the idea of _what is it that she’s saying that he’s so nervous about?_

He dared to glance over his shoulder, and regretted it immediately. 

There was a sudden rush of movement as the girls all moved to duck out the way, but the windows to the main house were large. He caught sight of at least five of them huddled round watching what was going on before they scattered at being caught. They weren’t subtle. 

He turned back and took a few large gulps of his drink. 

“You okay?” 

He put the glass down on the table, seeing it half-finished compared to Craig’s that he’d touched once. “Yeah, fine. Just thirsty.” 

Craig sat up enough to look over the back of the couch, searching for whatever Kyle saw. 

“It was, uh, Wendy and Bebe,” he offered, pointedly leaving out Heidi, and Nichole, and Red. “Are they...?” 

“Still there?” Craig scoffed and turned back round. “They’re not looking anymore. I saw them lurking though.” 

He gave a hum of acknowledgement, and they fell back into silence once again. 

There was another loud bang from the room next door, though this time it was of someone knocking on the window. It caused them both to turn round. 

Kyle looked on in mortification at what he saw. 

There was Stan and Cartman, faces nearly pressed against the glass with red cheeks warm from alcohol. Stan was looking at him while pointing at Craig with a stupid grin across his face as Cartman made a kissy face in their direction. 

"Holy shit,” he muttered as his eyes were glued to the train wreck. “I hate them so much.” 

It only got worse from there, as Clyde came sliding up behind Stan and all but mounted his hip, giving obscene thrusts that knocked Stan off balance and caused the dark-haired boy to laugh, Cartman cackling away next to him. Their only saving grace were the nosy girls who were still lingering and decided to intervene, herding them away from the window. 

He didn’t take his eyes off it, even when his friends had all gone and all that was left was a view of the party still going on outside. 

Craig turned back round with his face buried in his hands, sinking into the couch. 

“I think I preferred our siblings...” Kyle admitted, still staring in horrified awe at the window. 

“Just kill me,” Craig muttered. “Just fucking kill me.” 

“This is...” Kyle turned back in his seat and stared at the drink on the table. “Wow.” 

He couldn’t take it anymore. Something snapped in him, and he was on his feet, electricity shooting through his every muscle trying to tell him to run away. 

But he couldn’t. He was trapped in there, and as soon as they left, Craig would... 

He would know. He had to know. 

He probably already knew. 

_ Every-fucking-body else knew.  _

“So, I think it’s pretty clear what’s happening,” Kyle attempted to keep his voice steady as he turned and looked down at the teen that was slouched into the couch, the lower half of his face still covered by his hand. It didn’t stop Kyle from seeing the rest of his face which was decorated with a beet-red. 

“You’re not doing this,” Craig muttered in disbelief. “Please tell me you’re not-?” 

“And I think the fastest way to get out of here is to just come clean.” 

Craig shot to his feet and threw his arms in the air. “Come clean, are you serious?!” 

“Yes,” Kyle nodded, not allowing Craig’s stubbornness to get the better of him. “I know maybe it’s not what you want to hear but-?” 

There was a look that passed across Craig’s face. Horror. It was probably horror. 

"I-uh-?” he began to run out of steam, eyes flickering around the room nervously, fists clenched at his sides as he tried to summon the courage to say what he needed to. “I really...?” 

He got distracted by movement out the corner of his eye. With a flare of anger he picked up a cushion and threw it at the window with all his might, landing exactly where Cartman and Wendy’s faces had been just moments before. 

“Five fucking minutes!” Kyle shouted out, hoping they heard him. “Can’t you just give me five fucking minutes of-?!” 

He didn’t get to finish. 

Craig grabbed him, spinning him round and dipping down before Kyle had time to fully process what was happening. He felt lips graze across his own, pressing down in a firm kiss and- 

_ Holy shit.  _

_ Craig just kissed him. _

“I’m sorry,” Craig started with the redness still furious on his face. “But if you’re gonna reject me then...I at least want that.” 

Kyle’s brain short-circuited. He did not compute. All he saw was an error message flashing across his brain. 

Craig met his eyes and sucked in a breath, looking far too pathetic for the usual ‘devil-may-care' teen that Kyle had a crush on. “Alright. Go on. Say your piece.” 

Kyle didn’t say anything. 

He shot forward, grasping Craig’s face as he brought their lips together once again. 

He didn’t end it quickly like Craig did however. He held on until Craig started kissing him back. He didn’t let go even when he was pushing the other boy back onto the couch. 

\--

“Where are they?” Ike muttered as he pulled out his phone to check the time, seeing their curfew getting ever closer. “We have to be home by half nine.” 

“You have to be home by half nine?” Tricia asked with a disgusted face as she munched away on chocolate. 

“Yeah, and I’m not the one who’ll get in trouble if we miss it.” 

“Then who cares?” Tricia leant forward to grab more treats from the bowl in the middle. “I’d let him get in trouble. He put himself there.” 

Ike thought about arguing that no, Tricia pretty much dragged them there and then Wendy locked them in, but instead he looked over to Kenny who raised his brows with a smile and a shrug at the girl’s words. Ike agreed. What could you do, with someone like Tricia? 

“What’s this, about Kyle and Craig being locked in the conservatory?” 

The three of them looked up from their snacks to see a new teen approach, and Tricia lit up at his arrival. 

“Hi, Token!” she greeted with a squeak to her voice. “You’ve got a real nice house!” 

“Thanks, Trish. You not causing too much trouble, I hope?” 

“Never!” 

She was causing _all the trouble_ , but okay. 

“Bebe’s locked them in,” Kenny supplied in answer to his question. “They were trick or treating when Tricia came looking for help.” 

“It was horrible,” she insisted as the teenager’s eyes fell to her. “They were so gross, and all lovey-eyes and shit!” 

“They were,” Ike sighed out in reluctant agreement. 

There was a loud cheer from behind them that pulled their attentions from the kitchen to the doorway, and Tricia was on her feet in seconds running to see what it was. The three boys followed after her, though Ike thought the wolf whistle was probably sign enough of what had happened. 

Where the conservatory joined the main room stood a gaggle of Kyle’s friends, Stan and Cartman included, along with Wendy and the blonde girl who had the key. He found his gaze wandering over to the window, and then really wished he hadn’t as he stuck his tongue out in disgust. 

His brother was there scrambling off the couch, lips red and abused with his red curls sticking out at all angles. Craig was sat there, spinning round to raise his middle finger with a furious snarl towards the kids that were on the other side of the window. 

“That’s nasty,” Ike declared. “I’m gonna be sick.” 

“Not on my kitchen floor, you’re not.” 

He decided that was a fair order from Token, so held it in. 

The blonde girl seemed to take pity on the couple and took the key out of her bra, opening the door to the conservatory with a laugh as the two who had been locked in rushed to escape. She patted Craig on the rear on the way out, muttering something and just grinning widely at the deathly glare she was shot. 

Ike had other things to worry about, as green eyes fell on him, and he raised his wrist to tap at an imaginary watch. 

The anger on his brother’s face quickly morphed to fear. “Oh, shit, what time is it?” 

“Fifteen minutes,” Ike supplied. “We have to be home in fifteen minutes.” 

Kyle rushed forward and held out a hand for his brother, looking up at the teens behind him. “Thanks for looking after him, Kenny.” 

“No worries, dude. He’s always a delight. Mostly cause he’s super quiet.” 

Kyle made for the front door, but Craig stopped him in his tracks with a very concerned frown. 

“You are _not leaving me_ with these assholes.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kyle offered. “I have to have Ike home by like, half nine. I’ll text you?” 

“You’re serious?” 

“I’ll walk Tricia home, if you want?” he offered as Ike began to drag him towards the door. 

“I’m going to kill you, Broflovski.” 

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” 

There was another whistle from where their friends were still chortling together. It lit another wave of pink across the couple’s faces. 

“You better,” Craig pressed as he ignored his embarrassment. 

There was that dumbass grin spreading across his brother’s face again. He rolled his eyes as he tugged on Kyle’s arm. “C’mon! We have to go!” 

“Wait!” Tricia called out, running after them. “Don’t just leave me here!” 

The three of them walked back to the Broflovski house together, Tricia and Ike leading the way comparing candy from their bag, trying to barter and trade with each other to get their favourites. They got home easily enough, entering to Sheila greeting them, asking Ike and Tricia how their nights had been, if either of them wanted any food or if they were already full from candy. 

The guilty looks that crossed their faces said it all. 

“I’ll walk Tricia home,” Kyle offered. 

“Is her brother not with her?” Sheila asked, glancing behind them as if she expected him to just be lingering in their doorway. 

“He went to the party, I offered to take her home so he could go.” 

“Well, that was very nice of you, Kyle,” Sheila nodded with approval. “Perhaps once you’ve taken Tricia home, you could stop by at the party for a little while yourself.” 

His whole face lit up at his mother’s words. “Seriously? I can go?” 

“Yes, you can. I think you’ve had enough punishment for lying. Just don’t do it again!” 

“I won’t!” he lied. “I promise!” 

“I’ll see you at school on Monday,” Tricia said to Ike. “Thanks for hanging out with me.” 

He smiled back at her with a shrug. “Sure, see you Monday.” 

Kyle guided the girl out the house with a rushed goodbye and thank you to his mother. Ike finally allowed himself a moment to decompress after the night. 

He really should’ve accepted Firkle’s offer to hang out with the goth kids in the cemetery instead. 

\--

Kyle returned to the party, which had picked up significantly in his brief absence. He caught Kenny’s gaze as he entered, the blonde crowding round Wendy’s space as they chatted and drank, as they presumably had been before they’d been disturbed before. 

They pointed him in the direction he wanted to go with little fuss. 

Craig was in the kitchen, laughing at something that Clyde had said as the brunette told a story, full of arm movements and gestures, capturing the attention of the group of friends who were hanging out with him. Kyle made a beeline for one boy in particular though. 

Craig looked down at him with a lopsided smile and raised brow. “Hey, you’re back?” 

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Taking your sister home cleared my curfew, mom said I could come out. Well, for a bit, at least.” 

The teasing didn’t take long to start up, as Clyde abandoned his story half way through to tell Kyle all about how Craig had been so very, very depressed without him. A solid punch from Craig into the brunette’s shoulder cut the teasing short, though. 

He spent the rest of his night with his friends, glued to Craig’s side. He thought that maybe he would let Ike live a little longer. He was a pretty good brother, at the end of the day. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm glad I got this finished in time! I nearly didn't haha
> 
> Though after writing this I'm gonna mentally make a note that next time I write a story that includes Tricia and Kyle having any time together the two of them, she needs to threaten.


End file.
